Mindfulness is a big topic of conversation this year, with celebs everywhere adopting mindful practices in their everyday lives. It’s not as difficult as you may think; there is no training involved, no need to leave the house and definitely no need for those stretchy, unflattering leggings.
So here are 4 easy mindful habits we should practice daily.
#1 Walking
Believe it or not, walking is a great way to be mindful; not the kind of fast paced walking we do on the commute to work or the stomping determined walk we do when we hurry the kids round to school in the morning. I am referring to the leisurely walk, this can do wonders for our state of mind. It doesn’t have to be miles, it doesn’t have to be a certain number of steps, but taking a short leisurely walk to have space to breathe, space to think and take a moment to ourselves, is a great mindful practice we could all squeeze into our daily lives.
#2 Uni-tasking
Although us women are notoriously fab at it, multitasking has been scientifically proven to create a 50% chance of making mistakes whilst working. The idea of uni-tasking helps us to be more mindful, the idea of focussing on one task and doing it well before moving onto another, this in turn helps with our stress levels, sleep habits and overall good health. So ditch the idea of the multitask and practice uni-tasking instead.
#3 Take a mindful minute
For those among us who are embedded in the digital age, try a mindful App such as HeadSpace. They explore the health benefits around daily mindful meditation and their free App claims that, with just a few minutes of guided mindful meditation a day, you can ‘boost creativity, focus more and stress less.’ That’s got to be worth a try. Taking a mindful minute doesn’t mean you need to sit cross legged on the floor, surround yourself with incense and chant ‘Ohhhhhmmmmmm,’ it’s about concentrating your mind, focussing on your breathing and taking a few moments to reset yourself.
#4 Wake up mindfully
If you feel you really don’t even have a minute to squeeze into your busy schedule in order to be mindful, what about in the morning? Waking up mindfully is a great habit to practice daily. Here’s an idea, during your morning shower there are some great techniques to adopt in order to wake up mindfully. Rather than letting your brain whizz through the hundreds of things you need to do (or forgot to do yesterday,) focus on the sounds of the shower, the smell of the soap, the feeling of the water, even the softness of the towel and the feel of the mat under your feet. Mindfulness isn’t something we need to learn, it’s just about being in that moment, that short moment and having time to let our brain just STOP, calm and get ready for the day ahead.
Although it many not be suitable for everyone, adopting simple mindful habits every day can really help our long term wellbeing. Whether it’s one or all four ideas you try, remember that our mind is what keeps us ticking (not literally, that’s our heart, but you get the drift) we need to give that a chance to rest just as much as we need to take off our heels at the end of the day. So take a minute, relax and be mindful today.
